Brassiere



L. H. HOPPER May 21, 1963 BRASSIERE Filed July 18. 1960 INVENTOR. 50/5 14/. HbPPEE flrraeNsfs.

3,695,387 BRASSIERE Lois H. Hopper, North Hollywood, Calif., assignor to Munsingwear, Inc, Minneapolis, Minn, a corporation of Delaware Filed July 18, 1969, Ser. No. 43,388 3 Qiairns. (Ci. l28498) This invention relates to brassieres. More particularly, the invention is concerned with long brassieres, characterized by a relatively Wide body-encircling portion.

Since the detachable fasteners for the brassiere body band are placed at the rear of the garment, this portion of the band has usually been made consistently wide with the remaining portions of the garment. Any narrowing of the band (to permit concealment of the brassiere while wearing a low-cut dress or gown) results in a tendency for the band to ride upwardly on the body of the wearer.

It is one of the objects of this invention to make it possible to provide a narrow width for the rear of the brassiere without danger of the garment riding upwardly on the wearer.

It is another object of this invention to improve, in general, brassieres of the long-line type.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of an embodiment of the invention. For this purpose, there is shown one form in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. This form will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front pictorial View showing a brassiere embodying the invention in use;

FIG. 2 is a rear pictorial view thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation, showing the body-encircling band as extended outwardly; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the inner side of the garment adjacent one end of the body-encircling member or band.

The brassiere includes a pair of breast cups 1 and 2, which may be of any conventional type and made from any suitable material, such as lace, broadcloth, satin, etc.

The lower portions of these cups as attached as by seams 3 (FIG. 3) to a body-encircling band or member 4. The upper edge of this member is appropriately formed with concavities into which the cups 1 and 2 fit. If desired, a reenforcing strip 5 may be sewn inside of the brassiere at the places where the cups join the band 4.

The band 4 is quite wide at the front and tapers toward the rear to form the separate ends 6 and 7. These ends meet at the central rear portion of the garment. The width of the garment is very much less at the rear than at the front, the lower edge 8 remaining at substantially a constant level around the entire garment. Detachable fastener elements 9, such as hooks and eyes or the like, serve to hold the ends 6 and 7 together.

The band 4 may conveniently be formed of a number of panels separated by stiffening material or bones 11, 12 and 13, having a covering of fabric and usually made of spring steel. The front panel 16 may be made of suitable fabric, such as lace; and panels 15 and 17 at each side of the garment may also be made of similar material. The intermediate panels 18, 19, are shown as made from two-way stretch material. A top strip 20, on the inner side of the garment, extends over the top edge of the garment from the outer cup edges to the ends 6 and 7. This strip 2-1) is also preferably made of two-way stretch material.

A diagonal one-way stretch tape 21 is attached, as by sewing, at its ends adjacent the upper edge of end 7 and to the lower edge 8 near the bone 13. A similar strip or tape 22 extends diagonally from near the upper edge of end 6 to the lower edge 8 adjacent the corresponding bone 13. These strips or tapes are located on the inner side of the garment. The force exerted by these tapes prevents riding up of the upper edge at the rear of the garment. The garment is held tightly to the body, and there is unlikelihood that the top edge of the brassiere will become exposed even when the outer garment has a low-cut back.

The inventor claims:

1. In a brassiere; a pair of breast cups; a body-encircling member having a top edge, a bottom edge and ends meeting at the rear central portion of the garment; each of said ends and the top edge forming an upper corner; detachable fastening means at the opposed edges of said ends; and a pair of longitudinally elastic strips, each strip being attached only at its ends respectively to an upper corn-er, and to the bottom edge of the garment, said strips extending diagonally downwardly to said bottom edge.

2. In a brassiere: a pair of breast cups; a body-encircling member having a top edge, a bottom edge and ends meeting at the rear central portion of the garment; each of said ends and the top edge forming an upper corner; detachable fastening means at the opposed edges of said ends; a pair of longitudinally elastic strips, each strip being attached only at its ends respectively to an upper corner, and to the bottom edge of the garment, said strips extending diagonally downwardly to said bottom edge; and bone stiffener strips for the body member and extending respectively from the lower ends of the strips to the top edge of the brassiere.

3. In a brassiere: a pair of breast cups; a body-encircling member having a top edge, a bottom edge and ends meeting at the rear central portion of the garment; each of said ends and the top edge forming an upper corner; the top edge of the member sloping downwardly to provide a relatively narrow band where the ends meet; detachably fastening means at the opposed edges of said ends; and a pair of longitudinally elastic strips, each strip being attached only at its ends respectively to upper corner, and to the bottom edge of the garment, said strips extending diagonally downwardly to said bottom edge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,875,201 Weber Aug. 30, 1932 1,992,845 Solomon Feb. 26, 1935 2,060,998 Martin Nov. 17, 1936 2,651,040 Block Sept. 8, 1953 2,866,462 Faron Dec. 30, 1958 2,888,930 Coleman June 2, 1959 2,888,931 Schaumer June 2, 1959 

1. IN A BRASSIER; A PARI OF BREAST CUPS; A BODY-ENCIRCLING MEMBER HAVING A TOP EDGE, A BOTTOM EDGE AND ENDS MEETING AT THE REAR CENTRAL PORTION OF THE GARMENT; EACH OF SAID ENDS AND THE TOP EDGE FORMING AN UPPER CORNER; DETACHABLE FASTENING MEANS AT THE OPPOSED EDGES OF SAID ENDS; AND A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY ELASTIC STRIPS, EACH STRIP BEING ATTACHED ONLY AT ITS ENDS RESPECTIVELY TO AN UPPER CORNER, AND TO THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE GARMENT, SAID STRIPS EXTENDING DIAGNOALLY DOWNWARDLY TO SAID BOTTOM EDGE. 